Improvement in screw-wrench



gaat anni.

Letters Patent No. 92,969, dated July 27, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SCREW-WRENCH.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HoUsn, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Screw-Wrenches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference boing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which is represented a longitudinal section of a screwwrench constructed according to my improvement.

This invention consists in a spring attached or otherwise applied to the sliding jaw, and to the fixed portion of a screw-wrench, preferably within the screw itself, whereby a backward' tension is exerted upon said jaw, keeping it open to the fullest extent allowed it by the screw, in whatever' locality thereon it may be placed, thereby making the Wrench more convenient of adjustment to the different sizes of nuts upon which it is designed to be used, and whereby the slack of the said jaw, caused by the play given to the screw in its bearings, and which is increased by the wearing -of said parts, is taken up, thereby preventing the unpleasantI rattling of the jaw upon the wrench, and that of the screw within its bearings, and whereby the frictionarising from the turning of the screw in its bearings, and ti'om the propulsion of the jaw along the beam is equalized and slightly increased, thereby rendering the screw less liable to be turned unintentionally by the hand, or by the shaking of the jaw thereon, or by the friction of contact with other bodies, as is sometimes the case with screw-wrenches not having my improvement l Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of the many ways which might be selected for carrying out my invention- A is the sliding `jaw of a screw-wrench. B is the operating-screw of the said wrench.

Said screw B is of substantially the same construction. externally, as that of the ordinary operatingscrew of screw-wrenches, but differs therefrom, inasmuch as it is made hollow, so as to form a tubular or sleeve-like screw, as represented in the drawing.

Within the interior of this tubular screw is arranged 'a spiral spring, C. Said spring O has one of its ends secured to the sliding jaw A, at x, and the other to the fixed or rear bearing l) of the screw B, by means of a setfscrew, e, or by other suitable means, so that the forward sliding of the jaw will cause the stretching of the spring. By a constant contracting tendency of said spring G, the sliding jaw is held back against the screw, causing .the threads of the'nut or movable bearing to tighten against the threads of the screw, and the rear journal of the screw to press against the bottom of the rear or fixed bearing b, thereby securing the several advantages claimed for the invention in the recital of this specification.

An opening is made through the rear journalof the screw, not only for providing an outlet for the straight end Or rear termination of the spring C, but it isralso made of sucientr'sze to allow of the free turning of the said journal, without touching or materially binding the said straight termination of the spring. 'lhe springmight be arranged outside of the screw, but I prefer to arrange it inside, as it isl there out of the way, and protected from injury or drangement. f

What I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A screw-wrench, having its sliding jaw held back by a spring connecting it with the fixed portion b, sub-l stantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the spiral spring C, the hollow screw B, and the sliding jaw A, substantially as herein described.

Y HENRY A. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

A. It. LAonY, WM. HUnD. 

